WASHINGTON – The Democratic 2000 race had its first real rumble yesterday as Bill Bradley called for spending $65 billion to get health care for all – and accused rival Al Gore of being too “timid.”

The vice president’s camp shot back that Bradley’s plan is “wildly unrealistic” and would give tax breaks on health care to the likes of Donald Trump.

The rat-a-tat-tat underscored the rapid early pace of the race at a time when Bradley is gaining on Gore – a new poll shows Bradley trails by just 12 points in Iowa, scene of the first real vote Jan. 31.

“Health care is not a luxury,” said Bradley, who called for letting all Americans pay to join the same generous health plans that cover members of Congress and federal workers.

“It isn’t right that kings and dictators can come to this country to get the best medical care in the world” while ordinary Americans can’t afford insurance, the ex-Knick added.

Under Bradley’s plan, parents would be required to get insurance for babies before leaving the hospital; the poor would get subsidies; and all Americans who pay premiums could deduct the cost from taxes.

The Medicaid system would be scrapped so the poor would get a choice of health plans, and seniors would get an uncapped prescription-drug plan but would have a $500 deductible and 25 percent co-payment.

Gore has proposed a more modest plan that focuses on expanding health care to the nation’s 11 million to 15 million uninsured kids. Bradley says he wants to cover most of the 45 million uninsured Americans so 95 percent of the nation is covered.

“I think what [Gore] has proposed is definitely timid compared to what we have proposed,” Bradley told a news conference in Los Angeles. “Timid” is a put-down he likes to use for Gore.

Gore spokeswoman Elaine Kamarck contended there’s a “huge flaw” in Bradley’s plan because it uses half the projected surplus and “there’s just not enough money to do this and take care of Medicare” – the popular health program for seniors.